Plastic-Eating Bacteria Offers New Hope in Fight Against Pollution, Research Shows

Scientists have discovered a type of bacteria commonly found in wastewater that can break down plastic and use it as a food source, offering a promising solution to one of the planet’s major Pollution problems. The study, published in Environmental Science and Technology, focuses on Comamonas testosteroni, a bacteria that thrives on polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—a plastic widely used in single-use food packaging and water bottles.

Source: Bloomberg Originals/YouTube

PET plastics account for about 12 percent of global solid waste, with around 90 million tons produced each year. Unlike most bacteria that prefer simple sugars, C. testosteroni has the unique ability to consume more chemically complex materials like plastics, which typically take much longer to decompose.

“The machinery in environmental microbes is still a largely untapped potential for uncovering sustainable solutions we can exploit,” said Ludmilla Aristilde, the study’s senior author and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University.

The researchers detailed not only that this bacteria can break down plastic but also how it accomplishes this feat. Through a series of experiments involving advanced imaging and gene-editing techniques, they found that C. testosteroni first physically breaks down the plastic into smaller pieces. It then releases enzymes that chemically decompose the plastic into terephthalate, a carbon-rich compound the bacteria can digest.

Lead author Nanqing Zhou likened the process to how humans consume meat. “If you want to eat beef, you need to cut it into different parts, and some parts you can eat, some parts you cannot,” Zhou explained. “You process it into different pieces of steak, and then you cook, and afterwards you need to cut it into smaller pieces before you eat and digest.”

To confirm their findings, the team removed the gene responsible for producing the crucial enzyme and observed a significant reduction in the bacteria’s ability to break down plastic. This pinpointed the specific enzyme essential for turning inedible plastic into a usable food source.

While the discovery is promising, the bacteria aren’t yet ready to be deployed in wastewater treatment plants or landfills. “The way we want the plastic to be broken down is a lot faster than the bacteria really needs it to be broken down,” noted Rebecca Wilkes, a lead author and postdoctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Currently, the bacteria take a few months to break down chunks of plastic, so further optimization is needed to speed up the process.

Timothy Hoellein, a biology professor at Loyola University Chicago who was not involved in the study, emphasized the significance of exploring multiple solutions to plastic Pollution. “There’s a lot of different kinds of plastic, and there are just as many potential solutions to reducing the environmental harm of plastic Pollution,” he said. “We’re best positioned to pursue all options at the same time.”

This breakthrough adds a valuable tool to the environmental protection arsenal, signaling that while plastic Pollution is a significant challenge, it is not insurmountable.

Latest Petitions to Sign:

• Petition: Tell Authorities to Address the Harmful Consequences of the Border Wall for Wildlife and Humans
• Petition: Help Ensure the Safety of Koala Populations in Australia from Fire Ants
• Petition: Tell Biden to Reinstate Federal Protections for Gray Wolves
• Petition: Help Reject Elon Musk’s New Project That Will Pollute a South Memphis Community
• Petition: Demand Accountability for Men Who Kicked and Set Cat on Fire
• Petition: Demand Accountability for Man Who Didn’t Provide Even the Most Basic Care for His Dogs
• Petition: Help Protect Pigeons from Being Shot with Blow Darts in Florida
• Petition: Demand Accountability for Man Who Shot and Killed 80+ Animals
• Petition: Help Shut Down the Calgary Stampede and Protect Rodeo Animals
• Petition: Help Stop Corporate Pollution

Related Content:

• California Sues ExxonMobil Over Plastic Recycling Claims
• California Introduces Complete Ban on Plastic Shopping Bags at Grocery Stores
• How Surfing Sparked a Wave of Plastic Recycling in Tierra Bomba, Colombia
• Bette Midler, Lupita Nyong’o, and Others Call for Global Action on Plastic Production
• India Leads Global Plastic Waste Production, Study Reveals

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!